Ways We Hurt Our Children

Are You Hurting Your Child?

As parents, we try to guarantee a healthy and happy life for our children. Sometimes, however, our best efforts can have the opposite outcome. Every day, parents do things that could have a harmful and lasting impact on their children. These mistakes, which go unmentioned in the parenting books, can cause depression, social difficulties, low self-esteem, and other characteristics that can stop them from becoming successful adults.

One of the most common parenting mistakes is overprotecting children. "When we protect our children from every problem and emotion, it creates a sense of entitlement and inflated self-esteem that often crosses the line into narcissism," says Sherrie Campbell, a licensed psychologist. Because of this, they expect life to go their way. When it doesn't, they become confused and depressed.